Filament holders such as suture packages are well known. Typically, a suture package includes at least one suture with a needle attached thereto. The needle may be releasably retained within the suture package and the suture may be wound about structure within the package. When a surgeon requires a suture, the needle can be grasped by a forceps or by the hand and pulled to withdraw the suture from the package.
It is desirable that a suture withdraw easily and smoothly from a package without binding, snagging or becoming entangled. It is also desirable that a suture be positioned within a package such as not to be deformed to such an extent that the suture does not hang straight after being withdrawn from the suture package.
Currently, there is no effective device for testing a suture package to assure that the suture package configuration is such as to facilitate smooth and easy withdrawal of a suture from the suture package. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a device capable of measuring the force required to withdraw a suture from a suture package. Such a device would function to identify design flaws that exist in the construction of a suture package.